iOS 11.1 Beta 2 Brings Back 3D Touch App Switcher

In the second beta of iOS 11.1, Apple has reintroduced the 3D Touch App Switcher gesture on devices that are equipped with 3D Touch.

The feature was "intentionally removed" during the iOS 11 beta testing process and was not reimplemented ahead of the official iOS 11 launch, but Apple software engineering chief Craig Federighi promised it would be re-added in a future iOS 11 update.

appswitcher
In an email to a MacRumors reader, Federighi said the feature needed to be temporarily removed in iOS 11 because of technical issues.

We regretfully had to temporarily drop support for this gesture due to a technical constraint. We will be bringing it back in an upcoming iOS 11.x update.

Thanks (and sorry for the inconvenience)!

The gesture, first implemented in iOS 9, allows users with a compatible iPhone to 3D Touch at the left edge of the display to bring up the App Switcher. When it was pulled from the beta, many iPhone users were disappointed as it is a convenient method for switching between apps with a single gesture. Sans gesture, the only way to bring up the App Switcher on an iPhone is by a double press on the Home button.


iOS 11.1 beta 2 is currently available for developers, but a public beta should be coming later this week. We're still early in the beta testing process, so it's not yet clear when iOS 11.1 will see a public release.

Related Forum: iOS 11

Popular Stories

iOS 26

6 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.1

Wednesday October 29, 2025 4:22 am PDT by
Apple is about to drop iOS 26.1, the first major point release since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least six notable changes and improvements to look forward to. We've rounded them up below. Apple has already provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of iOS 26.1, which means Apple will likely roll out the update to all compatible...
ios 26 1 slide to stop

iOS 26.1 Brings Back 2007 Feature in New Way

Friday October 31, 2025 1:40 pm PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a small but helpful change for iPhones, and it could prevent you from running late to something important. Specifically, when an alarm goes off in the Clock app, there is a new "slide to stop" control on the screen for turning off the alarm. On previous iOS 26 versions, there is simply a large "stop" button, which could be accidentally tapped. The new ...
iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Coming Soon: New Features for Your iPhone and Release Date

Monday October 27, 2025 7:55 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a handful of new features and changes for iPhones, including a toggle for changing the appearance of the Liquid Glass design, "slide to stop" for alarms in the Clock app, and more. Below, we outline key details about iOS 26.1. Release Date Given that Apple has yet to seed an iOS 26.1 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, the...
M5 MacBook Pro

Waiting for New Macs? Apple Just Shared Bad News

Friday October 31, 2025 7:32 am PDT by
Apple has just given a strong indication that it will not be releasing any additional new Macs for the remainder of the year. Apple's CFO Kevan Parekh dropped the hint during the company's earnings call on Thursday:On Mac, keep in mind, we expect to face a very difficult compare against the M4 MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac launches in the year-ago quarter.Parekh essentially gave a heads up ...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

8 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Thursday October 30, 2025 4:42 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
maxresdefault

Apple TV 4K Could Still Launch Before 2025 Ends: All the Rumored Features

Monday October 27, 2025 4:51 pm PDT by
Apple is designing an updated version of the Apple TV 4K, and rumors suggest that it could come out sometime in the next couple of months. We're not expecting a major overhaul with design changes, but even a simple chip upgrade will bring major improvements to Apple's set-top box. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. We've rounded up all the latest Apple TV rumors. ...
ipad mini 7 feature blue

OLED iPad Mini: Release Date, Pricing, and What to Expect

Wednesday October 29, 2025 7:13 am PDT by
Rumors are stoking excitement for the next-generation iPad mini that Apple is reportedly close to launching. So what should we expect from the successor to the iPad mini 7 that Apple released over a year ago? Read on to find out. Processor and Performance Apple is working on a next-generation version of the iPad mini (codename J510/J511) that features the A19 Pro chip, according to...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS Tahoe 26.1 Release Candidates

Tuesday October 28, 2025 1:07 pm PDT by
Apple today provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, macOS Tahoe 26.1, tvOS 26.1, watchOS 26.1, and visionOS 26.1 updates for testing purposes. The RCs betas come a week after Apple released the fourth betas. The new betas can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software...
apple tv hd

Apple Launched Its Big New Vision for TV 10 Years Ago Today

Thursday October 30, 2025 8:58 am PDT by
Apple launched the Apple TV HD, the Siri Remote, tvOS, and their accompanying App Store a decade ago today, marking a major overhaul of the device. The new vision for the Apple TV was unveiled on September 9, 2015 during Apple's "Hey Siri" event in San Francisco, where CEO Tim Cook introduced the device with the statement, "The future of TV is apps." The announcement represented a major...

Top Rated Comments

penajmz Avatar
105 months ago
I’m so happy about this. Missed this BIGLY!
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
thejadedmonkey Avatar
105 months ago
I wonder what sort of technical constraint would have caused the need to remove it.?
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gixxerfool Avatar
105 months ago
This is exciting. For all the naysayers claiming 3D Touch is a gimmick, when they pull something like this, you notice how much you actually use it.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
a3vr Avatar
105 months ago
Whats the big deal never used it maybe fix 3d touch first
[doublepost=1507572527][/doublepost]Its quicker to double tap home button
Not when you are going to the previous app. Push down and swipe across the screen. Done.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MartinAppleGuy Avatar
105 months ago
I’m enjoying this ‘listening’ Apple.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
techpr Avatar
105 months ago
Thank You Apple. This is a MUST!
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)